Birthdate: Jan 2, 2001
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ishana Night Shyamalan is the filmmaking daughter of director/writer/producer M. Night Shyamalan. Ishana Shyamalan took her filmmaking training at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts directly to the small screen as director/writer/producer of episodes of Apple TV+’s horror series, Servant (2019-2023), created by Tony Basgallop.
Shyamalan was the second unit director on M. Night Shyamalan’s acclaimed horror movie, Old (2021), starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Rufus Sewell, Alex Wolff, Thomasin McKenzie, Ken Leung, and Embeth Davidtz, grossing a potent $90.2 million (against $18 million costs) for distributor Universal Pictures.
Ishana Shyamalan was again second unit director on M. Night Shyamalan’s apocalyptic drama, Knock at the Cabin (2023), starring Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Abby Quinn, and Rupert Grint, and earning $54.8 million globally on a $20 million budget for Universal.
Ishana Night Shyamalan debuted as director-writer of the horror feature, The Watchers (2024), adapting A.M. Shine’s novel, which starred Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan, and Olwen Fouéré, produced by New Line Cinema/Blinding Edge Pictures/Inimitable Pictures and was released by Warner Bros.
Ishana Night Shyamalan was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by her parents including her father and filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan. Ishana Shyamalan has one older sister, Saleka. Shyamalan’s grandparents are movie producers Jayalakshmi and Nelliate Shyamalan. Ishana Shyamalan attended Philadelphia schools and graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
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Starting Young: Ishana Night Shyamalan is one of the youngest persons—at age 19, on Apple TV+’s Servant—to have directed, written, and produced episodic television, including directing six episodes (including two season finales) and writing or co-writing ten episodes.
Video Eye: Shyamalan has also directed four music videos for R&B artist, Saleka, her sister.